Public Holidays in New Zealand — 2026
New Zealand is holiday-rich in 2026, with 23 public holidays spread across the year.
Every one of them falls on a working day this year, because none collide with the local Saturday + Sunday weekend.
The dates are spread fairly evenly — 13 before July and 10 after it — with January the busiest month.
The longest dry spell runs 80 days, from Friday, July 10, 2026 to Monday, September 28, 2026; that is the stretch worth spending annual leave on.
21 holiday(s) sit next to the weekend, and 0 single bridge day(s) could turn into a four-day break.
New Zealand sits in Oceania, is run from Wellington, pays in New Zealand Dollar, and has about 4.8M people planning around these same dates.
- Public holidays
- 23
- Days off work
- 23
- Weekend
- Saturday + Sunday
- Busiest month
- January (4)
- Longest gap
- 80 days
- Capital
- Wellington
| Date | Day | Holiday | Local name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jan 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day | |
| Fri, Jan 2 | Friday | Day after New Year's Day | |
| Mon, Jan 19 | Monday | Wellington Anniversary Day | |
| Mon, Jan 26 | Monday | Auckland Anniversary Day | Auckland/Northland Anniversary Day |
| Mon, Feb 2 | Monday | Nelson Anniversary Day | |
| Fri, Feb 6 | Friday | Waitangi Day | |
| Mon, Mar 9 | Monday | Taranaki Anniversary Day | |
| Mon, Mar 23 | Monday | Otago Anniversary Day | |
| Fri, Apr 3 | Friday | Good Friday | |
| Mon, Apr 6 | Monday | Easter Monday | |
| Tue, Apr 7 | Tuesday | Southland Anniversary Day | |
| Mon, Apr 27 | Monday | Anzac Day | |
| Mon, Jun 1 | Monday | King's Birthday | |
| Fri, Jul 10 | Friday | Matariki | |
| Mon, Sep 28 | Monday | Canterbury (South) Anniversary Day | Dominion Day |
| Fri, Oct 23 | Friday | Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day | |
| Mon, Oct 26 | Monday | Labour Day | |
| Mon, Nov 2 | Monday | Marlborough Anniversary Day | |
| Fri, Nov 13 | Friday | Canterbury Anniversary Day | Canterbury (North & Central) Anniversary Day |
| Mon, Nov 30 | Monday | Chatham Islands Anniversary Day | |
| Mon, Nov 30 | Monday | Westland Anniversary Day | |
| Fri, Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | |
| Mon, Dec 28 | Monday | Boxing Day |
How many public holidays does New Zealand have in 2026?
23 — of which 23 fall on a working day and 0 fall on the Saturday + Sunday weekend.
What is the first public holiday in New Zealand in 2026?
New Year's Day on Thursday, January 1, 2026. The last one of the year is Boxing Day on Monday, December 28, 2026.
Which days are the weekend in New Zealand?
Saturday + Sunday. Working-day counts on this site use that pattern, not a fixed Saturday–Sunday assumption.
When is the longest period without a public holiday in New Zealand in 2026?
Between Friday, July 10, 2026 and Monday, September 28, 2026 — 80 days with nothing official in between.
Are these 2026 dates confirmed?
Yes, all 23 dates come from the official calendar (source: Nager.Date public holiday API) and none are moon-sighting estimates.